Update in case of man facing life in prison for having sex with another man

A court in Uganda has dropped its case against the first man in the country to be charged with “aggravated homosexuality”, his lawyer says.

The charge carries the death penalty under an anti-gay law in the East African country.

Uganda defied pressure from Western governments, as well as local and global human rights groups, to enact the Anti-Homosexuality Act in 2023.

It is described as one of the world's harshest laws targeting the LGBT community.

The legislation carries a sentence of life in prison for same-sex intercourse and imposes the death penalty in cases deemed "aggravated".

That categorisation includes repeat offences, gay sex that transmits terminal illness, or same-sex intercourse with a minor, an elderly person or a person with disabilities.

The then-20-year-old man, from Soroti in northeastern Uganda, spent nearly a year on remand after he was detained in August 2023 and charged with aggravated homosexuality, his lawyer Douglas Mawadri said on Tuesday.

The man was accused of "unlawful sexual intercourse" with a 41-year-old man.

During proceedings which lasted more than two years, prosecutors amended the indictment and charged the man with having "carnal knowledge against the order of nature".

That is an offence under Uganda's penal code that carries life imprisonment, Mr Mawadri said.

On Monday "the magistrate discontinued the case upon finding that the accused is of unsound mind after a long detention on remand", Mr Mawadri said.

The lawyer said that the ruling was delivered orally in court and a written version would be available at a later date.

A spokesperson for Uganda's judiciary had no immediate comment when contacted.

Uganda's Anti-Homosexuality Act in 2023 drew widespread condemnation an threats of sanctions, and led the World Bank to suspend new funding to Uganda for nearly two years.

The United States imposed visa restrictions on some Ugandan officials.